Happy Thanksgiving from My Family to Yours

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and, as I sat here last night trying to decide what to blog about, I though it’d be fun to ask my team what they’re thankful for this year.

The only rule? They couldn’t be thankful they have a job or for their families or all the stuff people always say.

We know you’re thankful for that stuff. And you’d BETTER be thankful you’re working with me.

I asked them to have fun with it and to be creative.

So here is what some of them have to say.

Molli Megasko and I have worked together for nearly five six years. She was an intern, fresh out of college, and she was hired full-time because we liked having her around so much. Turns out she’s become really good at her job, too.

She is thankful she gets to work from home in New York City. She gets the work culture of a boutique agency and the social life of a Sex and the City girl. She’s also thankful her sister is having a baby, which gets her mother off her case for a little while.

Crister DelaCruz has been working with us since May and she brings a sense of style we all try to mimic.

She is thankful for perspective. She said:

Things haven’t come as easily to me in the last few years as they did during the first decade of my career. It has taught me to appreciate every accomplishment, kind gesture, and trustworthy colleague even more. The lessons I’ve learned have been invaluable.

She’s also thankful for sunscreen, the healthy lifestyle in which she was raised, and her parents’ genetics. Why? Because she turned 40 this year. And I’m here to tell you, she looks 25. I’d be thankful for that, too.

Lisa Gerber most of you already know because she hangs out on Spin Sucks all the time. She joined us in January and I’m pretty sure if she and I went on the Newlywed Game, we’d totally win.

She is thankful for the “unfriend” button, which she used with joy earlier this week (I have to go see if I’m still friends with her). She’s thankful for connectivity, Skype chat (where you’ll find the two of us all day, every day), FaceTime, and Dropbox. She is grateful she gets to do something she loves every day.

She’s thankful for Friday nights and turning off her alarm when she goes to bed. That’s because she thinks she has to compete with me on who can get up the earliest. Trust me, she isn’t going to win that one. But she can certainly stay out past 9 p.m.

She’s thankful for the mountains which, in winter and summer, are fun to go up and even more fun to go down. And for a husband and best friend with whom she rides those ups and downs. And she’s thankful for the friends she did not unfriend. I looked -we’re still friends.

And me? I’m thankful I have such a great team who like one another. This is very important and it hasn’t always been that way. When you work with people who like one another, it’s MUCH easier to do your job.

I’m thankful I have such a strong relationship with both of my parents. I seem to have gotten the best of both of them and I’m grateful for everything they continue to teach me.

I’m thankful for Mr. D, who makes me laugh multiple times a day, even when he’s telling the same joke I’ve heard 20,000 times.

I’m thankful for Jack Bauer, who is an old man in a dog’s body, and who loves me more than he loves anyone else.

I’m thankful for my work husband (Patti Knight) who takes better care of me than I take of myself.

And I’m thankful for this blog and social media, which has brought me all of you. When people ask how we’ve built such a strong community, I always respond with, “You mean, the crazies?” And I mean it. You’re all crazy and I love each and every one of you for it.

The days leading up to Thanksgiving always find me tending toward introspection. It’s easy to ignore the genuinely good things we have in our lives when external pressures of career, finances and balance come sneaking in.

This year has had its ups and downs, but I know that I’m the stronger for it. It’s given me the drive and perspective to understand what I really want – and I’m making that happen. Happy Thanksgiving, you crazies. Happy to be counted among the ranks.

ginidietrich

@jasonkonopinski This year has plain old sucked. But it definitely makes you stronger, does it not??

Crazies, huh? Ain’t that the truth…………..that’s why it is so cool to hang around here; I finally found my niche.

I’m thankful for my job, and not in the sense that I have one (which is cool too), but by some stroke of serendipity it turned out to be the perfect fit for me. I’m in outside sales; which I never thought I would have the confidence to do, but once I found out it was all about the people everything else just fell into place. I have total freedom to come and go as I please; I have a fantastic team that takes care of the day to day items once I bring the customers in. All I need to do is go out and meet new people and write new business; how cool is that? It’s still good to be me; can I be thankful for that?

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and your great team at Spin Sucks.

ginidietrich

@bdorman264 I had you, in particular, in mind when I wrote I love the crazies. Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Gini, Molli, Crister, Lisa, Patti, Mr. D, Jack Bauer and all the crazies! Although we’ve already celebrated our Thanksgiving here in Canada, I’m thankful that I get to celebrate again vicariously through all my friends in the States. Enjoy, relax, smile, eat lots, have fun! I’m grateful to have met so many amazing, talented, wonderful people online. Cheers! Kaarina

ginidietrich

@KDillabough My friend martinwaxman says our Thanksgiving is better than yours so I’m happy you can live vicariously through us. xoxo

I’m grateful that you and I live in a country in which we can disagree about things, and about certain people. And still be friends because we know that it’s really about doing the right things in business and in life.

I am thankful that, for all the craziness and scrambling in my life, I have been able to find a way to accomplish the only thing that matters to me – raising up my kids to be perceptive, smart, and kind people who I know will make a difference in this world. Somehow life has always provided just enough for me to get by, and I am truly thankful for that.

Happy T-sizzle GD and all of the rest of the team and community! In addition to being thankful for family, friends, having a job and all of the other common things we cherish, as I look back on this year I think what I am most thankful for is the strength of the people in the world we live. Particularly, the courage of the people who brought the Arab Spring and continue to fight for freedom and justice, and the fortitude of soldiers across the world who fight so others can be free. The guts that it takes for people to stand up and say, “You know what?” We aren’t going to sit down any longer and be oppressed.”

In some strange way, I draw some of my own strength from that. Maybe I am more sensitized than others because my brother is a marine currently deployed abroad and not home for the holidays, but I think everyone can relate to the idea that our problems are NOTHING, dirt specs in an infinite universe, compared to those less fortunate than us.

Hope next year brings a continued end to the oppression in other parts of the world too.

ginidietrich

@John_Trader1 For some reason, read Arab Spring as Irish Spring, the soap. And I couldn’t figure out WTH you were talking about. I mean, I get that people feel oppressed about the kind of soap they use, but come on! Then I reread it and realized I’m a moron.

I’m thankful for all of these I’m thankful posts. I wrote one too! sort of…

CristerDelaCruz

@danielnewmanUV LOL! I just read your post. You CRACKED ME UP! #7… What do you mean?!?! I’M perfect and sparkly!!! And the sky is pink with purple stars, since you asked 🙂

ginidietrich

@danielnewmanUV I LOVE the sarcastic Thanksgiving post!

CristerDelaCruz

Virtual group hug … #thatisall 🙂

CristerDelaCruz

Virtual group hug … with crazies met and not-yet-met (soon to be though!) 🙂

ginidietrich

@CristerDelaCruz You love the crazies as much as I do.

seedgirl

Gratitude is beautiful RT @ginidietrich I asked my team what they’re thankful for this year. Here are there answers http://t.co/unNlsWWL

ginidietrich

@ErinMFeldman I like spending time with the crazies, too

byronfernandez

@ginidietrich@Lisa Gerber This was great. I’m thankful to be a part of such an incredible, supportive, creative, uber talented…yes, Crazzyyy group of people on here as well 😀

I’m grateful for the recent opp to guest post here, and I’m grateful for the fun, laughs and liberation people find in life and also this community. We’re truly in the business of inspiration and passion in all you do. And people wonder why we’re so happy, crazy?! Perhaps above all – I’m grateful for the gift of the Word…a gift whose power we can use everyday to make a difference in the world.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 🙂

ginidietrich

@byronfernandez Happy Thanksgiving to you!

byronfernandez

@ginidietrich You too Gini! Enjoy the pumpkin pie and all that other stuff! : )

Thank you Gini for creating this fertile environment that produces so much wisdom, humor, and charm. I enjoy my visits to this community and I know I benefit greatly from its content and family members. I am thankful to be one of the crazies.

ginidietrich

@KevinVandever You are definitely one of the crazies. Happy Thanksgiving, Kev!

Crister is 40??? Crister is 40??? What the heck does she put in her water?? And may we all have a sip please? 🙂

Loved this Gini. And I’m grateful you’re dang awesome in every way.

Marcus

CristerDelaCruz

@Marcus_Sheridan LOL! Well thank you, Mr. Sheridan. Drink LOTS of water. But kike I said, it’s by no doing of mine (well, maybe the sunscreen)… it’s my parents’ genes. I just lucked out.Happy Thanksgiving you and your family.

CristerDelaCruz

@Marcus_Sheridan LOL! Well thank you, Mr. Sheridan. But like I said, it’s by no doing of mine (well, maybe the sunscreen)… it’s my parents’ genes. I just lucked out. Happy Thanksgiving you and your family.

ginidietrich

@Marcus_Sheridan Right?! When I first discovered this, I nearly fell on the floor. 40. Hrumph.

I am definitely grateful to have been touched by @ginidietrich @CristerDelacruz @Lisa Gerber@pattiknight ( I have not had the pleasure of “meeting” @MolliMegasko but I absolutely know that inherent in being part of the Arment Dietrich team is awesomeness so I am certain that I would love her too!) Thank you all for the MANY smiles you bring to my face during the week. I wish each of you a peace filled Thanksgiving! xo

Claudia

ginidietrich

@SocialMediaDDS Happy Thanksgiving my dear friend!

TSpare

@kmueller62 Happy Thanksgiving Ken…Saw your name on the “FIG” team list. What a beautiful publication……Thanks

KyleAkerman

I’m grateful for all the amazing insights I get to learn from the AD team and the Spin Sucks community.

This year I have had so much to be thankful about – world travel and so many experiences, 4 months in the States living like a prince – and making some great new acquaintancies on line (I know the spelling is wrong there on acquaintances but I like it with the extra ‘i’ in it), and now a new life in a defo new place. Life certainly does “throw ’em” – 2011 will take some beating. I am in training to make a late run at the London Olympics – if I qualify in my chosen events (100m and Hammer Throw) – then 2012 might just beat it.

I am NOT thankful for my new job timing – I miss out on a full-on US Thanksgiving again!! – the hunt for the mythical banana and honey sweet potatoe NOT desert??? goes on….

Hello there!I had so much to be thankful.Being alive in my 31st year in this world and for giving me a wonderful family is really worth to be thankful to our Almighty God.Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.May God bless you.

This shows you how crazy my life has been these last 2 months of 2011 – I missed this very lovely Thanksgiving message. Thank goodness I checked my Stumble Upon recommendations today (the day after Christmas, no less). I’m thankful for having met you, Mrs. D and glad to have this crazy group of folks to chat with when life is not so hectic and I’m in need of a ‘fix’. xoxo!